Separation Anxiety in Babies: Causes, Signs, and How to Help Them Through It

Separation Anxiety in Babies: Causes, Signs, and How to Help Them Through It

Separation anxiety is a natural and common developmental stage that babies go through. While it can be challenging for both babies and parents, understanding the causes and recognizing the signs of separation anxiety can help you support your baby through this stage. In this blog, we’ll discuss what separation anxiety is, why it happens, when it typically occurs, what you can do to help your baby, and how you can survive this phase as a parent.

mum feeling sad as her baby is going through separation anxiety

What is Separation Anxiety?

Separation anxiety is a normal and common developmental stage that babies go through, typically starting around 6 months of age. During this stage, babies can become distressed when separated from their primary caregivers, usually their parents. This can lead to crying, clinginess, and general fussiness when left with other caregivers, such as grandparents or babysitters. Separation anxiety is a sign that your baby is developing a healthy attachment to you and is starting to understand that you are a separate person from them.

Why Does Separation Anxiety Happen?

Separation anxiety happens as a result of emotional and cognitive development in babies. As babies grow and develop, they start to understand that they are separate from their caregivers and that their caregivers can leave them. This can lead to anxiety and distress when separated from their caregivers, as babies are unsure when their caregivers will return. Separation anxiety is a normal part of a baby’s emotional and cognitive development and is a sign that your baby is developing a healthy attachment to you.

mum playing with her baby both laughing and happy

What Can You Do to Help Your Baby with the separation anxiety?

Understanding what causes separation anxiety can help you support your baby through this stage. By starting small, creating a goodbye routine, staying calm and positive, and encouraging bonding with other caregivers, you can help your baby develop a sense of security and independence that will benefit them throughout their life.

 

  • Start Small: Practice leaving your baby with other caregivers for short periods, gradually increasing the amount of time you spend apart. This will help your baby get used to being away from you and will build their confidence and independence.
  • Create a Goodbye Routine: Develop a predictable and consistent goodbye routine that helps your baby understand that you will always come back. This can include saying goodbye with a hug and a kiss or leaving a special item, such as a blanket or a toy, with your baby. Learn more about routines in our detailed  age specific sleep guides here.
  • Stay Calm and Positive: Your baby can sense when you’re anxious or upset, which can make separation anxiety worse. Stay calm and positive when leaving your baby with other caregivers, and reassure your baby that you will return.
  • Encourage Bonding with Other Caregivers: Encouraging your baby to bond with other caregivers, such as grandparents or babysitters, can help them feel more secure when you’re not around. This can include spending time with other caregivers while you’re present, so your baby can get used to being with them.
  • Use Distractions: Before leaving your baby, provide them with a fun activity or toy that will keep them occupied and distracted while you’re away. This can help your baby associate your absence with positive experiences and can make the separation easier for both of you.
  • Stick to a Routine: Establishing a consistent routine can help your baby.
  • draw or Lipstick Kiss on Their Hand: Before your baby goes to sleep, draw or put a lipstick kiss on their hand and tell them to kiss it when they feel lonely. This will help your child feel connected to you even when you’re not around.
  • Give Them a Soft Toy to look after: Giving your baby a soft toy to look after can be a great distraction when you’re not around. Your baby will feel less lonely and more responsible for looking after their toy.
  • Give Them an Item of Your Clothing: Giving your baby an item of your clothing to sleep with can provide comfort and familiarity, as it will smell like you. This can help your baby feel more secure and less anxious when you’re not around. Make sure to follow safe sleep advice and dont leave any lose item in the cot for babies under one.
  • Create a Social Story Book: Make a book with pictures of your baby, their caregivers, and family members to create a story about your baby’s day. Include their activities, people they interact with, and their bedtime routine. You can also add comforting phrases or messages that can help them feel loved and cared for even when you’re not around.
  • Establish a Bedtime Routine: A consistent bedtime routine can help your baby feel more relaxed and comfortable at bedtime. Incorporate activities such as reading the social storybook together, singing lullabies, or playing calming music. Additionally, you can create a relaxing environment by dimming the lights and using a white noise machine. This routine can also help your baby feel more connected and secure, making it easier for them to fall asleep.
  • Play Peekaboo Games: Peekaboo games can help your baby understand that even when you’re not visible, you’re still there. You can play peekaboo by covering your face with your hands or a blanket and then revealing yourself, saying “Peekaboo!” This can help your baby learn that people can disappear and reappear, but they always come back.
  • Love Bombing: Spend quality time with your baby and give them lots of attention and affection when you’re together. This can help them feel loved and secure, even when you’re not physically present. Some ways to love bomb your baby include playing with them, reading to them, cuddling, and singing to them.
  • Use Comfort Objects Safely: While comfort objects can provide your baby with a sense of security, it’s important to use them safely. If your baby is under one year old and still sleeping in a cot, avoid leaving any loose objects such as blankets or soft toys in the cot with them. Instead, you can place the comfort object near the cot or use a sleep sack that doesn’t have any loose fabric. This can reduce the risk of suffocation and other sleep-related accidents. Check here for safe sleep advice to prevent SIDs.

HOLISTIC BABY SLEEP COACH

We hope these tips can help you ease your baby’s separation anxiety and provide them with comfort and security when you’re not around. Remember, every baby is unique, and it may take some trial and error to find what works best for your little one. Be patient, consistent, and show them lots of love and attention, and they’ll soon learn that they are safe and loved.

If you need more support or have any questions, we’re here to help! You can contact us for one-on-one support or purchase our detailed sleep guide that includes more tips on how to manage separation anxiety and promote healthy sleep habits for your baby. We’re committed to helping you and your baby get the rest you both need and deserve.

Surviving 8 Week Sleep Regression with Your Baby

Surviving 8 Week Sleep Regression with Your Baby

As a Baby Sleep Coach, one thing I find parents quickly learn about feeling you are getting the hang of having a newborn and navigating their sleep patterns, is that you shouldn’t get too comfortable. Over the first few years of their life, your child will go through many regressions in their sleep. The best way to tackle this sleep turmoil is to be prepared and not to be blindsided when your good sleeper is suddenly a sleep avoider.

mum holding new born swaddled baby

But let me reassure you, it will not last forever and will eventually pass. It is important not to create new ‘bad habits’, so check the advice below on what you can do to survive the sleep regression at 8 weeks.A sleep regression is a period of time, usually lasting a few weeks, during which a baby or young child who previously slept well suddenly begins to wake up frequently during the night and have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Sleep regressions can occur at several different ages, including around 8 weeks, 4 months, 8 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 2 years old.

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that there is a specific “8-week sleep regression.” However, many parents report that their babies go through a period of disrupted sleep patterns around the 8-week mark.

During this time, babies may have trouble settling down to sleep, may wake up more frequently during the night, and may be more fussy or irritable during the day. This can be a challenging time for both parents and babies, as disrupted sleep can lead to exhaustion and stress.

Some possible reasons why babies may experience disrupted sleep around 8 weeks of age include growth spurts, developmental changes, or a shift in their circadian rhythms. However, every baby is different, and the exact cause of disrupted sleep patterns may vary from one baby to the next.

What age will my child go through a sleep regression?

  • 8 weeks
  • 4 months
  • 8 – 10 Months
  • 12 – 15 Months
  • 2 years

How long does sleep regression last?

The length of a sleep regression can vary depending on the individual child and the cause of the regression. Some sleep regressions may only last a few days or a week, while others may last for several weeks. But let me reassure you, it will not last forever and will eventually pass. It is important not to create new ‘bad habits’, so check the advice below on what you can do to survive the sleep regression at 8 weeks.

mum sitting in the chair holding a baby sleeping on her chest

So why is the sleep regression happening at 8 weeks?

It is roughly around the two month mark that your baby undergoes both physiological and hormonal changes because that is just a part of them growing up! This first one is due to the fact that all of the melatonin they had stored up from their mothers while in the womb is now switching to their own system where they begin to produce their own! You would probably think it was pretty amazing if you weren’t so tired. You know the term ‘sleepy newborn’? Well that is all about to change as they become more aware of their environment and the people in it and will become more alert to their surroundings. Now the world is becoming a much bigger place for them as their sight improves too, who wouldn’t want to take all of that in as much as they could?

Is this the new normal?

All those changes I said were happening to your baby right now are hear to start and are all part of your babies development. The frustration at having a baby who you won’t go back to sleep  however, will get easier.  Your baby will start producing their own melatonin, they will learn to settle themselves and to go back to sleep between periods of rest.  Also those nap times will increase, giving you a much needed break.

mum kissing her newborn  baby

What can I do to help my 8 week old during sleep regression?

As difficult as things may seem right now, I am here to tell you it isn’t all as depressing as it seems and to give you my top 4 survival tips.

1. Make changes to where they sleep.

Make sure you are making the night sleep vs day sleep very black and white. Keep your daytime interactions in brightly lit rooms. Make the awake time fun – lots to do, lots to see.  Nap time and bedtime is for settling down relaxing and ultimately aiming for a much deeper sleep with no distractions. The darkness will help the melatonin I mentioned your baby is trying their best to produce. A black out blind may help.

2. Avoid making changes to routine

Set your routine and stick with it. It isn’t going to instantly make things better because it’s a sleep regression but making changes or adding gadgets will mean your baby has too many things going on and will be more difficult to settle. Be strong, be consistent and your reward will come in the long run.

3. Create a calm sleeping environment

Make sure your baby’s sleeping environment is conducive to sleep. Keep the room dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature. Consider using a white noise machine or a soothing sound to help your baby relax.

4. Comfort your baby

When your baby wakes up at night, offer comfort without picking them up if possible. Use soothing words and gentle touches to help them relax and go back to sleep.

5. Practice safe sleep

Make sure your baby is sleeping in a safe environment, such as on their back in a crib with a firm mattress and fitted sheet.

6. Get support

Reach out to friends and family members for support during this challenging time. Consider hiring a childcare provider or asking a family member to watch your baby for a few hours so you can rest.

7. Take care of yourself

Try to get enough rest yourself by napping when your baby sleeps, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly. Remember that taking care of yourself is essential to being a good parent.

8. Be patient

Remember that the 8-week sleep regression is a phase that will eventually pass. Be patient and keep trying different techniques to help your baby sleep better.

9. Bigger the baby the bigger the feed

Your baby has a growing belly, but it doesn’t mean they have realised that. If they are still taking the small feeds that their few day old self was eating, then it makes sense that they will wake up sooner hungrier because they weren’t full in the first place. This might mean a feed now will easily send them back to sleep, but if you are not doing feed on demand, then encouraging a bigger feed rather than a snack will help them to settle for longer. Check out my blog on whether Baby will sleep better if you give them an extra bottle.

10. Well-timed (and placed) naps

As I mentioned early, your sleepy newborn is slowly disappearing and their awake times are becoming more frequent. Your baby’s awake times should have been extended from when they were first born and you can gradually increase the time they are awake to prevent them from being under-tired and therefore waking up too soon, or not resettling once they are awake. Doing this gradually will hopefully prevent them going too far the other way and becoming overtired and struggling to even get them to sleep.

HOLISTIC BABY SLEEP COACH

Hopefully these tips will help you to survive having an unsettled baby. Pick your schedule, add in some white noise, consider swaddling if you don’t already and most importantly – stick with it. Their melatonin won’t increase in a day but with these tips you can give your baby the best possible chance to get through the first sleep regression and hopefully save your sanity.

If you liked these tips and wanted to learn more about how to support your child to sleep at this age, my 5 star parent-rated, baby sleep guide for baby’s that are 0 – 3 months old is available here or why not purchase our sleep bundle to cover all sleep up until school here.

 

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.


For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our
 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

Does mouth breathing affect my child’s sleep?

Does mouth breathing affect my child’s sleep?

If your child has trouble sleeping, or wakes up during the night it could be that you have a mouth breather on your hands. As a baby sleep coach, I see how common mouth breathing is in young children and how this could be the reason your child is not sleeping through the night, so read on to see Mouth Breathing could be affecting your child or baby’s sleep.

mouth breathing baby sleeping

Why might my child breathe through their nose?

For the first few months of their lives, newborn babies breathe pretty much exclusively through their nose unless there’s a reason they can’t such as having a blockage in their nasal passage, usually because your little one has a cold.  In a bid to keep taking in oxygen, they will use their mouth to breathe because their nose is not up to the job.  A more long-term reason for nasal congestion could be allergies that hinder a child’s airway and forces them to use their mouth to breathe.  Because symptoms from allergies are over a longer period of time, this is more likely to encourage new (and bad) habits of resorting to breathing through the mouth even after the airway is cleared.

asian girl sleeping in the bed

Why is it a problem if my child breathes through their mouth?

When it comes to mouth breathing, there are several factors that make it something to avoid.  Both doctors and dentists suggest many side effects of mouth breathing that can cause your child discomfort and even lead to more long-term problems developing.  In young children, breathing solely through the mouth can cause dry mouth and contribute to crooked teeth.  It can lead to physical abnormalities if left to continue over a longer period of time and it can also cause dental problems as well contributing to a disrupted sleeping pattern. 

baby sleeping on the side in their cot

Are there any benefits to breathing through your nose?

Breathing through the nose is a more efficient way of using oxygen, which in turn leads to producing Nitric oxide which aids your immune system in tackling infections.  The mucus and tiny hairs in your nose also help to filter out unwanted small particles such as germs, dust or pollen and stop them from entering your lungs.  Breathing in a more efficient breath full of oxygen also helps improve brain functions and blood flow around our bodies. It helps us breathe into our lungs, air that is full of moisture as well as helping to warm the air before it gets there.  Plus it is usually quieter for the parents listening on the baby monitor!

child sleeping with mouth open mouth breathing or snoring

How do I know if my child is a mouth breather?

Young children may not be able to tell you that they have symptoms like an adult would, as they may not be able to explain what is happening to them.  There are, however, some symptoms you can look for in children which include: slower than normal growth; irritability or crying episodes during the night; dry mouth or lips; trouble concentrating for a length of time and being sleepy throughout the day.

Why is mouth breathing causing my child to have a restless night?

Mouth breathing, rather than nose breathing, can lead to your child experiencing interrupted or reduced breathing. This means their body will react to that by restarting their breathing, potentially with a snort or gasp that will in turn wake your child up.  Less oxygen to the brain also means their brains won’t get enough rest so will be more tired throughout the day.  It also means they may want to nap or go to bed early which again means good sleeping patterns are disrupted. Because of some of these factors, children have in the past been wrongly diagnosed with ADHD (research shows) due to their sharing of symptoms such as restlessness or a lack of concentration when in fact it is a much more simple case of sleep deprivation. 

toddler sleeping with mouth open mouth breathing

How can I help my child breathe through their nose?

If your child is breathing through their mouth because of an obvious problem such as an illness blocking their nose, then you can treat that in the same ways you would normally, such as by using a nasal spray or appropriate medication to ease the congestion.  If the problem is to do with allergies, then things to keep the air clear like a dehumidifier will help alleviate a blocked nose.  

If your child is no longer ill and is still breathing through their mouth, then it might be advisable to get them checked out by your GP just to check if they have enlarged tonsils or adenoids (which are patches of tissue in the throat).
You can actively encourage children who are able to understand to do breathing exercises so they can become more aware of their nose breathing.  This can help instil good breathing habits that will eventually become natural to them so that they can hopefully continue this through the night. 
Lastly creating a calm and relaxing environment free of stress and maybe adding in some yoga and deep breathing into the calming down bedtime routine to also help to reinforce this. 

Cute snorts and adorable sleeping babies aside, nothing is more important than our baby’s health and by treating the little sniffles as soon as possible, it can be so beneficial to their health now and in the future as well as making sure that your child (as well as the parents) get a much coveted good night’s sleep.

If your child is waking up too early in the morning to start their day, there may be other factors at work! Take a look at our Early Rising Sleep Guide to help your little one sleep until a reasonable wake-up time.

 

HOLISTIC BABY SLEEP COACH

 

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.


For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our
 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

How can I help my baby sleep through Fireworks?

How can I help my baby sleep through Fireworks?

A night with fireworks can be a stressful time for anyone with children or pets and as the weather turns colder we know that Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve are both just around the corner.  You may worry how your baby or toddler will get a good night’s sleep while the noise from the fireworks is going on outside so I have come up with some top tips for helping your baby, and you, get a good night’s sleep using my experience as a baby sleep coach.

mum reading books to her daughter at bedtime before she goes to sleep

1. Time your baby’s sleep just right.  

The deeper the sleep your baby is in, the less likely it is that the bangs and screeches outside will disturb them.  For parents, this might mean moving your child’s routine slightly earlier so that they will be asleep early enough to have fallen into a deep sleep long before the fireworks begin.

2. Let them know what is happening.

If your child is a bit older, you can prepare them by explaining about the loud noises that they may hear if they do happen to wake up in the night. Let them know that it is nothing to worry about and they are fine to go back to sleep.  You may even want to show your child some videos or sounds of the fireworks on quiet to put it into a more simple context for them.

3. Change up your bookshelf

As well as the examples above for aiding your child’s understanding, you could team this with sharing a few books with your child about the dark and fireworks celebrations to help illustrate the point that fireworks are not scary and the noises are nothing to fear.  You can show them pictures of fireworks to show how beautiful they can be and also show illustrations of children enjoying a fireworks display.

family watching fireworks

4. Disguise the noise

What makes a white noise machine so great is that is can hide any ambient noises (especially surprise or sudden and unusual ones as referenced in this study on the effect of noise on sleep) that might otherwise wake your child during the night.  Consider using one if you don’t already and maybe even turn it up so they have the subtle sounds of white noise to fall asleep to, rather than the potentially more scary sounds of loud fireworks going off.   You can read the pros and cons of white noise here.

5. Keep the routine the same

It may be tempting to shorten or skip naps in the hope your baby will go to sleep a little earlier, but it’s the consistency of their routine, as well as making sure they don’t become too over-tired, that will help your child to sleep as they normally would.

6. Plan food for sleep

Did you know that some foods can help your child to have a good nights sleep? Make your bonfire night tea and snacks up of foods that contain melatonin, vitamin B6 and vitamin C to help aid sleep.  For more information, read our earlier blog on foods that will help your baby sleep better.

father reassuring his child lying in the cot stroking his baby's head

7. Be prepared for bed

If you are wanting to enjoy some firework festivities, then go fully prepared with things your child needs for bedtime.  Get them changed into their pyjamas and complete any other of your usual night time activities before you leave the celebrations, and you might be lucky enough that they fall asleep on the way home and then be able to transfer them straight to bed.  For children who wake up when you transfer them, do a shortened version of your usual night time routine with them to send them back soundly to sleep. You could try playing an audiobook on the car drive home to replace their bedtime story, for instance. Hopefully combined with the previous tips, your child will find that even though it is bonfire night that sleep comes as easily to them as any other night.

8. Stay calm and control your emotions

Probably the most important tip is to think about how you react yourself.  Your child will sense your anxieties or frustrations, so let them wash over your head so your child can feel calm, relaxed and positive, just like you.  Just remember, fireworks do not last forever and normal sleep will resume before you know it.  Also don’t fuss or assume your child will be frightened as this will actually encourage this to be true.

HOLISTIC BABY SLEEP COACH

Hopefully you will find that these tips will ease your fireworks night worries but if you need any extra information about getting your child to sleep on any other night of the year why not check out my sleep guides or you can check out our  1 : 1 consultation services 

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

References:

  1. Lee et al, ‘Effect of Noise on Sleep and Autonomic Activity in Children according to Source’ (National library of Medicine, 09 August 2021) <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8476937/> accessed 31 October 2022.

F Jiang, ‘Sleep and Early Brain Development’ (Karger, June 2020) <https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/508055> accessed 31 October 2022

Why is My Child Waking Early?

Why is My Child Waking Early?

As a baby sleep coach and parent, I know that some of the scariest questions you can hear when raising a child are “Is your baby a good sleeper?” and “Does your child sleep through the night?”.  It becomes the standard by which we judge our parenting – whether we get a good night’s sleep, or whether the bags under our eyes tell a very different tale. You begin to wonder how others seem to manage it while you feel doomed to restless nights and early mornings and even though you have to remember that every child is different, there are a few things that you can do to try and make supporting your child to sleep through the night easier for your family.

stressed mum wit child jumping on the sofa

So Why Does My Child Wake up Early?

Your child may be waking up for many different reasons.  Some of these are easily solvable but here are some of the most common. 

1. Do you really know much your child needs to sleep?

Too much sleep during the day when it comes to nap time may be the reason your child doesn’t need as much as you were hoping they would at night.

 2. Is their bedtime the right time?

If as above they only need a set number of hours sleep, then if there bedtime is not right they could already be getting all the sleep they need and that is why they are waking up early.

3. Old habits are hard to crack.

If your child had adjusted their body clocks to waking up at a certain time then it may have become natural to them.  With a little patience though, these habits can be broken.

4. Check your child’s environment.

Check if there is something else that happens at the same time as your child wakes up.  Maybe the heating comes on at that time and the radiator makes a noise or maybe it’s the time light comes streaming in.   Checking for things in your child’s environment means you can rule another possible cause out.

5. Is your child still comfortable?  

A full nappy or hunger pangs  maybe what is waking them up if they have had too much to drink or too little to eat before bed. 

6. Did your child have a good day?

Your child may wake up unsettled by something that happened during the day that may have upset them or frustrated them

7. Are genetics the problem?

If your child is a morning person then they may have got it from their parents. It may just be something that runs in the family

8. Is it possible that my child is just an early riser?

Early rising could definitely just be a part of who they are.  For some children it is natural for them to wake up and be ready to start the day bright and early. Their biological clock might just be set earlier than other children and unfortunately after everything else has been ruled out it may just be something you will have to work out a new life routine around.  Just remember though, it won’t last forever.   Children’s sleep patterns change all the time but until then, a few changes to your own routine to help you cope with the early mornings will probably be the best way forward.

However before you resign your life to seeing more sunrises than you’d like, bellow are some of the things you can do you to help with early rising.

little boy ready in bed for his bedtime routine

So What Can I Do To Stop my Child Waking Early?

 

1. Is your child up when the sun is up?

With a little investigation at the right times, you can check how much light is coming into your child’s room and where it is landing.  Light equals day time which to a child equals playtime so keep it out of your room until you are ready and consider a blackout blind if needed.

2. Did you check for environmental noises that might be creating an early alarm clock?

It may take you getting up a little bit before your child’s usual wake up time to spot it but it will be worth it to hear those noisy radiators that come alive when the heating comes on.  By doing this it may be obvious exactly what it waking your child up and you have a problem to be fixed. A white noise machine might help disguise any environmental noises and prevent them from becoming an alarm clock for your child.

3. Are you keeping the mornings calm and steady?

If as soon as your child wakes up they have a full on morning of their favourite things, then there is no wonder your child wants to jump right out of bed and start their day.  Having a calm morning routine, making sure they get dressed and ready for the day and then doing relaxing and none strenuous activities like colouring, reading or simple puzzles are less likely to encourage your child to rush out of bed unlike ‘rewarding’ them with watching TV at 5am.

4. Is your child is waking up because of hunger?

Then later or more fuller evening meals may help.  This may mean you have to decrease snacks to try and encourage them to eat more substantial food in the evening. Here are some sleepy foods you should introduce in their evening meals.

5. Have you assessed your child’s sleep routines?

Too early to bed may mean that they have already had all the sleep they need by the time they get up at silly o’clock in the morning.  Adding an extra hour to their bedtime might get you that extra hour you crave in the morning. You can check your child’s sleep needs here. Maybe it’s the opposite and your child is too late to bed. Being overtired means your child is not getting a good nights sleep and it is more likely to be restless rather than fall into the deep sleep they really need.

Creating a relaxing environment for your child to chill and get in the right frame of mind ready for bed is going to promote a much less stressful situation.  Activities like colouring or reading are perfect because they avoid screens and don’t over-excite your child into having an additional burst of energy just before you want them to drift off to sleep.

7. While we are on the subject of sleep patterns, does your child really still need a nap for that long?

Or even a nap at all for that matter.  If your child only needs 10 hours sleep and they are already having 2 during the day then maybe they only need 8 at night time and that’s why they are waking up earlier than you would like.  This may take a bit of trial and error but hopefully as you attempt new sleep patterns it shouldn’t take long to see a difference one way or another and for you to know that this could be the problem.  Don’t get into a bad cycle of needing early naps because they have risen early and then needing an early bedtime because that is going to create bad habits and suck you into a terrible cycle.

tired baby yawning

How To Stop Your Child from Waking Early?

This blog is just the tip of the iceberg for how to analyse your baby, toddler or child’s sleep behaviours to identify the cause of their early rising and support them to sleep until a more reasonable hour. To find out more information on how to recognise the best method and solutions to use to stop your child from waking up early based on their individual behaviours and sleep patterns, I have recently released my Early Rising Sleep Guide which is an affordable way to get expert sleep coach advice tailored to your child. Find the guide in the baby sleep coach shop here. 

introductory offer – use coupon Early20

HOLISTIC BABY SLEEP COACH

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.


For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our
 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.